Fighting Temptation - A WAY OUT - wk 1
Notes
Transcript
Fighting Temptation
Fighting Temptation
I have never been the kind of person who likes talking about himself. Especially when it comes to very personal stuff. In fact, when Amy and I first got married, I quickly learned that she didn’t have what most people would call a filter. In casual conversation, she would share way more information than I would ever even consider. We’d get in the car and the first thing I would say is, “Why would you tell them that?”
After standing up here week after week for a while now, I am learning to share more personal stories. In fact, a lot of days, I try to give Amy a run for her money! My goal is to get in the car after church and hear her say, “Why would you tell them that?!?”
Amy is looking at me like, “What are you about to say?” She’s tilting her head at me, so I better stop right there. I guess I will tell a story about me instead. Something that I’m not sure I have ever shared is the fact that I have always been a little bit claustrophobic.
When I was a kid, I had nightmares about crawling through those plastic tubes at the playground. I would be crawling through the tunnels, making one turn after another, until I reached a point where I thought I should back up because I noticed the tunnel getting smaller. However, when I turned to look, someone would always be behind me blocking the path, so I had to keep going. The further I went, the smaller the plastic tube got, until I realized that I was stuck. I couldn’t go any further, I couldn’t back up, I couldn’t even wiggle.
Being stuck in places like this have always caused me to panic. That’s one reason that I will never get on a big boat. Anything body of water larger than a lake is off limits for me. And even at that, there is a time limit. I am not sure why it bothers me so much. The only explanation for this that I can find is that when I was a kid I enjoyed playing hide-and-seek with my brother. At least, until one day when I decided to hide in the dryer. He knew I was in the dryer, so instead of tagging me he tagged the start button!
Though different, temptation can take us to that same place of panic. An alcoholic may really want to stop drinking, but just can’t. They feel stuck in that addiction, so they give in to it, and before long they go from, “I can’t stop drinking.” to “I can’t feel my legs.” Any kind of addiction can take you to that place of feeling stuck…
I really want to eat healthy, but my love for food is too much to overcome. I know I need to have less screen time, but I need to make more posts and get more followers. I am trying to save money, but I just need to buy this thing first. I know I shouldn’t lie, but if I told the truth you wouldn’t like it. Whatever you are tempted by, whatever you struggle with, it makes you feel trapped.
Whether it’s being stuck in a plastic tube at the McDonald's play place, trapped on a boat, tumbling in a dryer on the cool down cycle, or even caught in a torrent of temptation with seemingly no way out, to me one of life’s worst experiences is feeling trapped. You’re stuck. You don’t think you can do anything about it. The walls are closing in and you feel alone out on the water. TRAPPED! There’s no way out.
If that resonates with you, then you are in the right place today. Before we even begin I want you to know that, when you are being tempted, there is a way out. Today we are starting a short series called “A Way Out.” If you have your bibles, turn to 1 Corinthians chapter 10. Verse 13 is our driving scripture for this series. If you like trying to memorize bible verses, I believe this is a great one. Especially if you have ever thought, “The temptation is too strong!”
Paul starts off by saying that this temptation you are struggling with is nothing new and definitely not unique to you. You are not alone in the struggle. Even better, God is on your side! Let’s read what he says in verse 13…
The temptations in your life are no different from what others experience. And God is faithful. He will not allow the temptation to be more than you can stand. When you are tempted, he will show you a way out so that you can endure.
Every time there is a temptation, there is always a way out! We are going to talk about this topic in two parts. Next week, we are going to see how we can eliminate temptation before it even becomes a battle. Instead of living day to day and fighting the temptation when it comes, we are going to live BY THE SPIRIT. Relying on God’s power through His Spirit. Shrinking the temptation and desire as I (the old self, the flesh) becomes less, and God becomes greater in my life.
Today, we are going to look at some ways to resist temptation. We are going to start by giving temptation a clear definition. What is temptation? …
TEMPTATION IS ANYTHING THAT PROMISES SATISFACTION AT THE COST OF OBEDIENCE TO GOD.
TEMPTATION IS ANYTHING THAT PROMISES SATISFACTION AT THE COST OF OBEDIENCE TO GOD.
What is temptation? It is ANYTHING, good or bad, that promises SATISFACTION, a thrill, the hit of dopamine, excitement, even a moment relaxation from turning off your brain… Anything that promises satisfaction at the expense of OBEDIENCE to God.
“Just this one time, and I’ll feel better. Just for this one quick moment, no-one else will know. God has called me to be set apart, something different, but I can’t keep fighting this temptation. I’ll just give in this once.” So you sacrifice obedience to God, you give up the thing God has called you to do or to be to gain that moment of satisfaction. It all started with an empty promise, temptation.
After you come down from the high of the lie, you begin to feel like you’ve let God down. You start to feel shame and guilt. Often, those feelings just become more fuel for the next time you face the temptation. If you are taking notes, let’s look at some truths about temptation…
TEMPTATION TRUTH #1: IT’S NOT A SIN TO BE TEMPTED.
TEMPTATION TRUTH #1: IT’S NOT A SIN TO BE TEMPTED.
Many times, we feel guilty for even facing temptation. Maybe you are on a strict diet, then you come to church for encouragement and support. When you walk in the door, you are greeted by a beautiful, soft, mouth watering donut. The light is glistening off of the perfect coat of icing. Then it hits you. You are on a diet! Oh no!
Guys, as summer starts making its way into your daily commute, you are thinking, “Eyes forward. Keep ‘em on the road. Watch the road. Watch the road.” Then it happens. That attractive girl is jogging again. So often, when you are tempted you feel ashamed. The shame makes you feel defeated and hopeless.
That feeling is called “False Guilt.” False guilt is when you feel guilty about something even though you are not guilty of it. False guilt is harmful and it comes from ourselves or from the enemy, who is trying to make us feel like we have failed simply because of temptation.
Temptation isn’t a sin. The temptation in Jesus’ life was no different than what you experience. In Hebrews chapter 4, the bible says…
For we do not have a high priest who is unable to empathize with our weaknesses, but we have one who has been tempted in every way, just as we are—yet he did not sin.
I know it’s not a sin to eat a donut, but if you felt convicted to eat healthy and you walked in this morning and saw the donuts and they looked so good, you haven’t sinned. Then you smelled the donuts just to remember what it was like last week when you weren’t eating healthy, now you are getting into a gray area. It becomes a “sin” when you grab the chocolate covered one and give the chocolate a good lick. Even if you put it back, like I did.
It isn’t a sin to notice the attractive guy or girl jogging down the road. It becomes a sin when you’re like, “I should really go back and make sure they make it across the street okay.” If you do that, you’ve probably gone too far. If you are driving and there is an attractive person and you just keep on driving you didn’t sin.
What this DOES NOT mean is that we should go hang around temptation just because it’s not a sin. Why? This is the second truth about temptation…
TEMPTATION TRUTH #2: YOU ARE NEVER ABOVE TEMPTATION.
TEMPTATION TRUTH #2: YOU ARE NEVER ABOVE TEMPTATION.
Let’s look at our verse in 1 Corinthians again and back up to verse 12…
So, if you think you are standing firm, be careful that you don’t fall!
“Oh, I’d never do that! I feel so much better now that I don’t eat sugar, I will never go back!” If you think you are standing firm, be careful! Satan will attack you at your weakness… and he will also attack you at your strength.
You may be confident in your ability to avoid donuts, but then one day you have had such a bad week or bad month and letting down your guard and eating a little comfort food is exactly what you think you need. Sometimes we are to weak to fight temptation, but at other times we actually need to keep our guard up against our own self-confidence.
The third truth about temptation is…
TEMPTATION TRUTH #3: GOD WILL NEVER TEMPT YOU.
TEMPTATION TRUTH #3: GOD WILL NEVER TEMPT YOU.
God tests you, He never tempts you. God tests you to push you forward, Satan tempts you to pull you back. James give us great clarity about this in verse 13 of chapter 1…
When tempted, no one should say, “God is tempting me.” For God cannot be tempted by evil, nor does he tempt anyone; but each person is tempted when they are dragged away by their own evil desire and enticed. Then, after desire has conceived, it gives birth to sin; and sin, when it is full-grown, gives birth to death.
Temptation is not from God. Sometimes it seems like temptation is the test. We are tempted, then we feel guilty, and our response is to say, “God, I failed you. I let you down. I failed the test.” Instead of feeling like God is standing behind us shaking His head in disappointment, I believe God is standing there waiting for us to rely on Him. Waiting for us to depend on Him. If you are taking notes, this is a powerful thought. We could say it this way…
Every temptation is an invitation to depend on Christ.
Every temptation, instead of standing over you in disappointment, God is standing over you with outstretched arms, inviting you to depend on Him. He never tempts you. He wants you to depend on Him. The final truth about temptation is this…
TEMPTATION TRUTH #4: THERE IS ALWAYS A WAY OUT.
TEMPTATION TRUTH #4: THERE IS ALWAYS A WAY OUT.
When you find yourself neck deep in temptation, there is always a way out. He will always give you strength to endure and a solid exit. Let’s focus in on verse 13 one more time…
No temptation has overtaken you except what is common to mankind. And God is faithful; he will not let you be tempted beyond what you can bear. But when you are tempted, he will also provide a way out so that you can endure it.
Has anyone ever flown on a commercial flight before? Do you remember the first thing they do after they shut the doors to the plane before takeoff? A flight attendant stands at the front of the plane and shows you the way out. If you lose air, they show you how to put on the oxygen mask. If the plane crashes, they show you where the exits are. They don’t wait until the plane crashes to show you the way out.
It’s important to know the way out before you need it. Don’t wait until you are browsing gross websites to look for a content blocker. Don’t wait until 2 a.m. to set a time limit on devices. Today is the day to talk to someone and tell them you need an accountability partner. Meet for coffee, confess, repent, come up with a plan. Prayerfully seek a way out. God always provides a way out.
If we are going to fight temptation, first we need to define it. What is temptation? Temptation is ANYTHING that promises SATISFACTION at the cost of OBEDIENCE to God. Temptation is not a sin, we are never above temptation, God will never tempt you, and He always provides a way out.
Next we need to be able to name our temptation. If you have several, start by naming the biggest one…
WHAT IS YOUR BIGGEST TEMPTATION?
WHAT IS YOUR BIGGEST TEMPTATION?
Mine is overeating. I will eat until I am full, then keep eating just because I like food. After that, I feel like I need something sweet to wash down the meal.
Maybe for you it’s spending money, or comparing. It could be a physically harmful substance. Maybe its lust. Maybe this whole conversation is making you angry because yours is your temper. You might say that I didn’t make you angry today, but you do have a few other things you’d like to talk about because you are tempted to criticize people. You might even be racking your brain trying to think of a weakness, but you just don’t have any weaknesses. Be careful that you don’t fall! Sounds like you could be full of pride! You’ve been deceived.
It is important to know your temptation ahead of time so that you can have a plan of attack. This is an all out war on temptation! Being a Christian doesn’t mean there is an absence of temptation, it means declaring war on the temptation that IS there, and not having to fight alone. God is faithful! He will not let you be tempted beyond what you can bear! He provides a way out so that you can endure it!
That’s why it is crucial to be aware of the things that tempt you. What is your biggest temptation? What happens in those first critical moments of temptation is far more important than you can imagine. We must decide ahead of time how we will fight!
I was talking to mom a few weeks ago about my overeating. I was telling her that it was far easier for me to lose weight a few years ago because I had a plan before the day began. I knew what I was eating for supper every day. I never let myself be tempted by which foods “sounded good.” The first moments will make or break you in the fight against your temptation. If you are taking notes, temptation has a process that it follows in your mind…
THE PROCESS OF TEMPTATION:
THOUGHT
IMAGINATION
JUSTIFICATION
CHOICE
SIN
It starts with a thought. “Man, I could really go for some ice cream right now. Yeah, ice cream sounds good.”
Then it makes it’s way into your imagination. “Rocky road, cookies and cream, butter pecan. Yum, I love all of those.”
Next you start to justify why it would be a good thing to have. “I’ve worked extra hard this week. I rode my bike 10 miles more than normal. Yeah, I’ve earned it! I deserve some ice cream!”
Then you allow yourself to make the choice. Yes or no? “I’ll just look at what they have. See if there are any specials. It won’t hurt to check.”
Before you know it, you are walking out of Braum’s with two packages of muffins and two cartons of ice cream, because they were on sale. You might even have a shake in your free hand so you can enjoy some on the way home.
Jesus said that whoever even looks lustfully at a woman has already committed adultery in his heart. The temptation starts as a thought, “Wow, she looks good!” Then boom! Once it hits your imagination you are done. You’ve already lost the battle. We MUST decide ahead of time how we are going to fight.
James tells us how to fight this battle. He says that the desires that battle within you cause you to fall to temptation. If you want to win this battle, here is how you fight it…
Submit yourselves, then, to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you.
He doesn’t just say to resist temptation. Try not to think bad things. Don’t hang out with bad people and you will be good. According to James, that’s never going to be enough. The first thing we need to do is Submit to God! When I am not submitted to God, I am more vulnerable to temptation.
“God, I give you my mind, eyes, mouth, heart, hands, and feet.” Whatever I do not submit to God is more vulnerable to temptation. If my mind isn’t submitted to God, something is going to come into my mind that promises satisfaction. Before I realize how much it costs, it will convince me that I need it and can’t live without it. Then when I know the cost it will convince me that I am getting a great deal!
James says that to fight our way out of temptation we need to do two things…
FIGHTING YOUR WAY OUT:
SUBMIT TO GOD.
RESIST THE DEVIL.
Let me explain “resisting the devil” with a story…
When I was in college, a few friends and I went camping near at the wildlife refuge. After we set up camp, we decided to walk one of the trails. We were about two hundred yards from camp when we turned a corner and a huge bull was cooling off in the shade of a small tree. Clearly, the tree wasn’t doing a good job of cooling him off, because as we turned the corner he snorted, dug a hoof into the ground, and lunged at us.
I have never been a fast runner. My dad always criticized me for being slow at everything. Even when I played basketball in school, I was always the last person to finish laps. The fire from that bull’s nostrils lit something in me rarely seen. I have never ran so fast in my life. My two friends, who were fast runners, could not keep up with me, and that was fine with me. Last to camp buys time for the rest, right?
How do we resist the devil? Like he is an angry bull that surprised you as you rounded a peaceful corner in the woods. You run, harder and faster than you have ever ran in your life! The enemy is cunning and evil. The battle is not against flesh and blood, but powers and principalities of this dark world. Our weapon is Jesus. Jesus fights for us. Resist the devil while Jesus fights him off.
One of the best ways to resist temptation is to eliminate it when you can. Don’t even walk down a path where you know there are big angry bulls traveling. You can find this wisdom in Proverbs…
Don’t do as the wicked do,
and don’t follow the path of evildoers.
Don’t even think about it; don’t go that way.
Turn away and keep moving.
If food is a weakness, don’t go grocery shopping when you are hungry. If the browsing the internet encourages bad behavior, you can download apps that only allow you to go to certain sites and report your activity to friends. If it’s alcohol, don’t go to restaurants that serve it. If you can’t avoid temptation when you go to the gym, work out at home.
Stop going down the paths that lead you to the same places you’ve already been. Turn around and keep moving. There is another way. A way out. God always provides a way out. Keep walking until you are on THAT path.
I love this quote from Craig Groeschel…
Why resist a temptation tomorrow if I have the power to eliminate it today? -Craig Groeschel
Resist the devil. Throw away the candy. Cut up the credit cards. Quote scripture. Confess to a friend. The longer sin hides in your closet, the bigger it will grow. Sin grows best in the dark. Call on Jesus. Ask for His help. He wants and is able to help you…
Because he himself suffered when he was tempted, he is able to help those who are being tempted.
Christ in you is more powerful than the temptation that you face! Turn the other way, ask for Christ’s help, and keep putting one foot in front of the other. Keep submitting to God and resisting the devil…
“… And God is faithful; he will not let you be tempted beyond what you can bear. But when you are tempted, he will also provide a way out so that you can endure it.” -1 Corinthians 10:13